The qualifications watchdog today performed a major U-turn over a decision to
ban controversial exam seminars for teachers, despite fears the system may
be open to abuse.

Ofqual said it had overturned an earlier move to scrap the face-to-face training events – effectively designed to help teachers maximise pupils’ GCSE and A-level results – amid claims it would harm schools.

Under new plans, seminars will be subjected to tighter controls, including a requirement to monitor or even film the advice given to teachers.

But the watchdog, which is responsible for vetting the exams system in England, insisted that it would no longer insist on an all-out ban.

An undercover reporter posing as a teacher was told by an official from a separate exam board that “you don’t have to teach a lot” to get good marks.

In response, Ofqual announced an all-out ban on seminars linked to existing qualifications from this September, although it said that training could continue in relation to newly-introduced exams.

But the watchdog insisted today that the sheer scale of reforms to GCSEs and A-level imposed by the Coalition over the next few years made any ban unworkable.

It suggested that seminars – a multi-million pound industry for exam boards – can play an important part in helping schools prepare for the changes.

Glenys Stacey, the chief regulator, said: "We had previously decided to stop events taking place for specific qualifications after they start being taught in schools.

“Since our original decision, the full scale and pace of the programme to reform GCSEs and A-levels has become clear. And exam boards have put in place new approaches for managing confidentiality at these events.

"After looking at this evidence and listening to the feedback from our recent consultation, we have decided that appropriately-run seminars can still play a key role in supporting teachers to prepare their students for the new qualifications."

• Ensuring that no-one who has access to confidential materials relating to specific exams can be present at events;

• Making sure all training materials handed to teachers at face-to-face events are also reasonably available to others, suggesting that information is published on exam board websites.

Ms Stacey said: "Teachers should be given enough information about new qualifications to be able to plan their teaching and to teach students well, but they should not be given confidential information about future exams.

“We are making sure that teachers can get the right information about qualifications, and that what happens in seminars is all above board.”

The about-turn was welcomed by exam boards and teachers’ leaders.

But Prof Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said there was a danger of a repeat of previous abuses.

“Teachers do need to be informed about changes in the structure of exams,” he said. “However, these seminars raise money for awarding bodies and there’s a temptation for the person giving the presentation to pass on details of the examination just to draw more people in.

“There is a fine line between being informative and giving the game away.”

But Andrew Hall, chief executive of the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, said examines were “really concerned” by the threat of a total ban.

“There hadn't been any problems with our seminars and it looked like Ofqual was going to throw the baby out with the bathwater,” he said.

“This would have been very serious at a time when new GCSEs and A-levels are being introduced.”

Andrew Hall, chief executive of the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, said: “We were really concerned when we thought there might be a total ban, as there hadn't been any problems with our seminars and it looked like Ofqual was going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

“This would have been very serious at a time when new GCSEs and A-levels are being introduced.”

In a statement, the Welsh exam board WJEC, which had been implicated in the Telegraph’s investigation, said: “As an awarding body, we believe we are in the best position to provide teachers with clear guidance and support as they prepare to introduce new qualifications in the classroom.”

David Weston, chief executive of the Teacher Development Trust, said: “Every year we hear stories about pupils who have lost out when their teachers have misunderstood syllabus changes, so Ofqual has made the right decision to ensure that all teachers will continue to have access to the relevant training while tightening controls to ensure that attendees are not given unfair advantages.”

Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said, added: "The seminars are very helpful for teachers in providing information, clarifying grey areas and giving opportunities to come together to discuss issues around exams.”

The Telegraph’s revelations in late 2011 prompted an outcry and underlined the damaging effect that competing exam boards were having on schools. It was feared that schools were attempting to select the “easiest” exams to boost pupils’ results.

The Coalition wanted to introduce new rules to stop multiple exam boards competing to offer tests in the same subject, although these proposals were also shelved because they fell foul of EU competition laws.